How to Reduce Your Dementia Risk

A New Approach to Dementia Prevention

Recent research has introduced a promising strategy for preventing dementia, offering a multi-faceted approach that could significantly impact brain health. This study, known as the “Alzheimer’s Association U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk” or U.S. POINTER study, involved 2,111 older adults at risk of cognitive decline and dementia. The findings were shared at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Toronto and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study focused on what researchers call “multidomain lifestyle interventions.” These included regular moderate- to high-intensity physical exercise, adherence to the MIND diet, cognitive challenges, social engagement, and cardiovascular health monitoring. Participants were compared with those who received a lower-intensity self-guided intervention.

Those in the structured lifestyle intervention group attended 38 facilitated peer team meetings. They were given a prescribed activity program with measurable goals for exercise, diet, intellectual activities, and social engagement. Regular reviews of health metrics and goal setting with a clinician were also part of this plan. In contrast, the self-guided group attended six peer team meetings aimed at encouraging self-selected lifestyle changes based on their individual needs and schedules, without goal-directed coaching.

The results showed that participants in the structured lifestyle intervention group experienced statistically significant greater improvement in global cognition over the course of the study. Researchers emphasized that further studies are needed to understand the clinical significance and long-term effects of these interventions.

Dr. Laura D. Baker, a professor of gerontology, geriatrics, and internal medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Advocate Health, and principal investigator for U.S. POINTER, highlighted the importance of these findings. She noted that the potential to improve cognition with fewer resources and lower participant burden is compelling. She added that while not everyone can access or adhere to more intensive behavior interventions, even modest changes may protect the brain.

“These are the initial results,” Baker said. “Over the coming weeks and months, study leadership will be exploring all of the data collected in the trial to paint an even more comprehensive picture of the U.S. POINTER intervention effects on brain health.”

In the United States alone, an estimated 7 million people are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, according to the latest Alzheimer’s Association report. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the country and is linked to plaques and tangles in the brain. Currently, there is no treatment for the condition, making prevention crucial. Recent research has also explored the link between glucose levels and Alzheimer’s.

With the U.S. POINTER data now available, the Alzheimer’s Association plans to launch several programs and initiatives to build on its momentum. These include a personal brain health assessment tool, a virtual brain health training program for healthcare providers, a community recognition program for organizations championing brain health, and a brain health roundtable that will unite leaders across health care, public health, community, and corporate sectors.

Jeffrey Katula, McDonough Family Faculty Fellow in the Wake Forest Department of Health and Exercise Science, who worked to design and implement the intervention, emphasized the implications of the findings. He stated, “Our findings have tremendous implications for older adults: It is never too late to make lifestyle changes that can have measurable impact on one’s brain health.”